Religion in Japan

[Qais Ibrahim]

hello everyone...I'm Qais Ibrahim from Baghdad-Iraq
I have great respect for japanese people...Japan is ahead in technology and many other things in life...
but one thing is confusing me..that is religion..
this whole universe with all its amazing engineering...starting from our own bodies to the far galaxies in space..
i mean no one can deny the spectacular design and engineering of our universe..
there must be one great creator..and there must be a purpose behind all this..
now I know that the japanese people are very smart and open minded...so shall we have a respectful discussion?

 

[Glenski]

There is another forum here for serious discussions. Perhaps you should move it there. Also, what exactly do you want to know/discuss with regard to the topic?

And, to say Japanese are open-minded pretty much shows you don't know the Japanese very well.

I would caution against any discussion where you already DISrespect people by saying "there must be one great creator..and there must be a purpose behind all this."

 

[Qais Ibrahim]

it says
Forum: All Things Japanese

General Japan-related discussion such as history, arts & literature, religion, personal stories, etc

 

[nahadef]

So, you'd like to talk about the religion of Japan, one of the most atheistic countries in the world? They are Buddhist for weddings, and Shinto for Obon , and no religion the other 360 days of the year. Sure, let's talk about that!

People do just fine here without making claims about creators. They are quite happy and moral without religion. Amazing that the countries with lower religion rates are also more stable and crime free. Look at this map of crime rates of many countries:
World map of Crime Index for 2012

Japan, Finland, Sweden, Germany, all countries with a healthy atheist base, all the lowest in crime. (North Korea doesn't count, because their leaders are deified, and cannot be said to be an atheist nation whatsoever.)

You should read this page, and get an idea of how things are here.
Religion in Japan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And for the record, I can easily deny the existence of a creator, and at the same time appreciate the beauty of the world. Remarkable how people can be different around the world!

So let's talk about religion in Japan. I've taken part in some religious rituals. What would you like to know?

 

[Mike Cash]

I think you meant "Christian for weddings".

 

[Philip Grow]

I think you meant "Christian for weddings".

It depends on the family. My in laws prefer Shinto style weddings vs Christian.

 

[Qais Ibrahim]

So, you'd like to talk about the religion of Japan, one of the most atheistic countries in the world? They are Buddhist for weddings, and Shinto for Obon, and no religion the other 360 days of the year. Sure, let's talk about that!

People do just fine here without making claims about creators. They are quite happy and moral without religion. Amazing that the countries with lower religion rates are also more stable and crime free. Look at this map of crime rates of many countries:
World map of Crime Index for 2012

Japan, Finland, Sweden, Germany, all countries with a healthy atheist base, all the lowest in crime. (North Korea doesn't count, because their leaders are deified, and cannot be said to be an atheist nation whatsoever.)

well..nations rise and fall with time..that's correct what you said about these countries but not for all time
for example..arabs and muslims are falling behind nowadays but they were the leading nation in science,education and many aspects of life in spite of the powerful presence of religion..

 

[nahadef]

well..nations rise and fall with time..that's correct what you said about these countries but not for all time
for example..arabs and muslims are falling behind nowadays but they were the leading nation in science,education and many aspects of life in spite of the powerful presence of religion..

Yes, eight hundred years ago. As religious as they were, they were very scientific for that time, for more than the extremely superstitious cultures of Europe.

Now they aren't. You're right, nations fall.

Anyway, you wanted to talk about religion in Japan, right? Right? That's why you started this thread.

 

[nahadef]

I think you meant "Christian for weddings".

I meant Buddhist for New Years. Weddings aren't annual things. But yeah, I think they roll a die to see what religion the wedding is going to be, or at least watch a TV program on weddings.

 

[Mike Cash]

I meant Buddhist for New Years. Weddings aren't annual things. But yeah, I think they roll a die to see what religion the wedding is going to be, or at least watch a TV program on weddings.

New Year's is a tossup between Buddhism and Shinto. There's no problem partaking in both, though.

I wonder if the OP knows that Buddhism doesn't concern itself with a Creator at all? Whether there is or is not a Creator is considered irrelevant.

 

[Glenski]

shall we have a respectful discussion?

Sure, about what? You have not been clear at all, and your only other post doesn't even mention Japan in the least. What about Japan and religion did you want to "discuss"?

 

[Qais Ibrahim]

Sure, about what? You have not been clear at all, and your only other post doesn't even mention Japan in the least. What about Japan and religion did you want to "discuss"?

I simply want to know the japanese point of view about the purpose of this life and why we are here and where will we go after we die..

 

[Glenski]

Japanese beliefs in the afterlife?

 

[Qais Ibrahim]

Japanese beliefs in the afterlife?

yes,as I said before..who created the universe and for what purpose and afterlife..

 

[Chidoriashi]

In my 7 years in Japan I found the Japanese to be an "un-organized" religious society, they may on the whole not believe in the Judeo-Christian, or Muslim God, but I found that many do believe in "god" in a sense. The Japanese people are certainly not a bunch of atheists, they have many beliefs in superstition and the supernatural, and many are quite spiritual from what I saw. And for the number of Western militant atheists I met in Japan, I can say I never met a Japanese one, perhaps that is because of cultural reasons, but it is still my guess that they are few and far between.

 

[Glenski]

yes,as I said before..who created the universe and for what purpose and afterlife..

I think you misunderstood what I posted. It was NOT a question to you.


I posted a LINK. That's why it has a different color.
Click on it to find answers to all of your questions!

 

[nahadef]

yes,as I said before..who created the universe and for what purpose and afterlife..

No. The question is Did someone create etc. etc.
Your whole line of questioning is faulty.

 

[Mike Cash]

Somebody created the universe. So what?

Nobody created the universe. So what?

To spend time worrying and arguing over whether it was made or merely happened is fruitless and ultimately pointless.

 

[nahadef]

Somebody created the universe. So what?
Nobody created the universe. So what?
To spend time worrying and arguing over whether it was made or merely happened is fruitless and ultimately pointless.

I'm not particularly interested in debating it, especially in a Japan themed area. But the OP needs to know how biased his basic premise is... And how irrelevant it is to the topic of Japan...
Hopefully he'll frame his questions in the future so he can get information, rather than dole it out.

 

[Qais Ibrahim]

thank you very much for your replies...everyone has his own belief and religion..sorry for troubling you.

 

[Blackthorne]

A good emissary of Japanese beliefs, especially Zen, to the West is Daisetz Suzuki. He was good at comparing and contrasting Zen with Christianity, especially for the edification of Westerners from the the Judaic/Christian view of the universe.

D. T. Suzuki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Blackthorne]

Yes, eight hundred years ago. As religious as they were, they were very scientific for that time, for more than the extremely superstitious cultures of Europe.

I think you've bought into the "the myth of the dark ages."

 

[nahadef]

I think you've bought into the "the myth of the dark ages."

Compared to the Middle East? Yes, they were dark. The knowledge of Greece and Rome mostly survived through Islamic texts. Of course, Europe had its academia.

Anyway, I'm happy to see this little, misguided thread atrophy into nothing.

 

[Blackthorne]

Compared to the Middle East? Yes, they were dark. The knowledge of Greece and Rome mostly survived through Islamic texts. Of course, Europe had its academia.

And where was the actual Roman.. err Byzantine Empire during this "Islamic Intellectual Golden Age?" :?

 

[nahadef]

Oh! So you want to talk about Byzantine history! Since, Europe was all about Constantinople at that point! Yes, the center of Medieval Europe intellectualism was in modern-day Turkey, who many modern day Europeans don't even consider Europe! Ironic that that was their through line in the non-Dark Ages!
Got it! I get what you're saying, loud and clear. The Dark ages weren't really dark, just because the knowledge of Rome was lost, and the understanding of clean water and sewage was lost, and the knowledge of democracy wasn't lost, because it was still in a library in Turkey.
Sorry I offended you in some way that you need to intellectually show me about the Dark Ages in a thread about religion in Japan.
You win, Europe wasn't in a backwards period because some knowledge still persisted in Turkey. Good job.
I suggest you start a new thread if you want to school me more. Once again, good job!